Gas pressure type dispensing container valve



June 1, 1965 J. B. PoToczKY GAS PRESSURE TYPE DISPENSING CONTAINER VALVE Filed Dec. 2s. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 1, 1965 J. B. Po'roczKY 3,185,605

GAS PRESSURE TYPEDISPENSING CONTAINER VALVE Filed Dec. 26. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Filed Dec. 26, 1961 Ser. No. 161,854 3 Claims. (Cl. Z22-394) This invention relates to valve activators, and particularly to that type of activator which is adapted for use with a container of fluid material dispensed through a projecting tube by means of gas under pressure maintained in the container.

As has been previously explained in my Patent No. 2,954,995, lgranted October 4, 1960. One of the principal difficulties with containers of this type has always been the possibility that a user might attempt to, or might inadvertently, press the dispensing valve mechanism when the container is on its side or is inverted. In this posture, the presurized gas .compound in the container may vbe brought into direct contact with the entrance of the' dispensing tube, with the result/that the gas may pass out through the tube directly Without forcing out any of the product in the container. Ify too much of the gas escapes in this manner, the product impelii-ng charge may be wholly lost and, since there is' no practical Way for the outer Wall of which is in fixed engagement with, a tubular valve stem `which serves both as a pressurized fluid conduit as Well as the means for' actuating the valve when the stem is depressed inwardly ofthe container. Both of said Walls are movable with the tubular valve stem in rthe direction of their common axis, but the walls and valve stem are spring biased outwardly of the container. The outer of the two walls is of a greater diameter than the inner wall, and both walls and valve stem are 'encased Within a closely defining housing which permits limited slidingaxi-a-l movement ofboth 'said Walls and valve stem.

' Since the outer wall is of greater diameter than the inner consumer to recharge the container so as to induce further y f .flow of the fluid product therefrom, the latter is wasted.

This disadvantage has been one of the principal drawbacks to the .unqualified acceptance'by the public of this type of dispensing'means for many fluid products.

Another' problem of gas impelled dispensing containers arises from the fact that, because of the ease with which dispensing hitherto may be accomplished fr0-m any position, there is always a danger, where the product inthe container is a poison or' other deleterious substance, that, should it'tall into the hands of small children, they -may readily learn how to press the valve a-nd dispense the poison upon themselves, or upon some surface which it may harm. lt is desirable, therefore, to provide la valve mechanism which will only 'operate in a predetermined position lwhich would be less likely to be stumbled upon .by children or othersfor whose use the container is not intended.

Any device which may be offered to solve these problems must be `simple and inexpensive, since the public is not usually interested in paying'too much greater a price for mere convenience in dispensing the product.

.ln my'said prior United States Patent No. 2,954,904, is disclosed an inventive concept whereby tlre'dispens'ing of fluid fro-m'the container in other than a preselected attitude of the container is prevented by a valve construction in which the valve is opened in response to pressure` i application of pressure to the outer of lsaid pair of walls is transmitted to the inner wall, therebyl to activate the valve only in the attitude of the container which enables such interposition of said means to occur. i

While' this prior inventive concept has many advantages, it has thus far required the use of a special external cap construction to adapt it to use with existing-types of gas pressure fluid dispensing containers.

a The present invention is adapted for incorporation Within the conventional gas pressure lluid container and operate-s on the converse principle ofv interposing .means to prevent actuation of the valve in other than a preselected range of attitudes of the container. This is aci -complished in the preferred embodiment of the invention b'y providing a pair of parallel circular walls, spaced from each other,'disposedabout, coaxial with, and at least the ,the accompanying drawings in which:

wall, the housing provides a xed shelf peripherally of the inner Wall. This inner wall itself presents a coni-cal outer face, to receive, between itself and the outer wall, a relatively incompressible sphere which is adapted to r-oll upon said conical wall face peripherally of the tubular valve stem. In any but av substantially vertical attitude of the contain-er, the sphere will roll ofi the conical face of the inn-er wall and onto the fixed peripheral shelf; and v when so disposed, the sphere will befound to-'prevent axial movement of the outer wall into abutmentr with the shelf. Since .the .outer wall itself is in fixed engagement with the valve stem, axial movement of the latter isthereby also blocked in such attitude', so that the valve may not be opened to' permit passage of the pressurized fluid through the valve stem for dispensing.

The invention may be better understood by reference to FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly broken away, showing .a container incorporating an embodiment of the present invention in which the'valve stern is in closed position; r

FIG. 2 is ya vsimilar partial elevation of the upper portion of the container in which the valve stem has been moved into open posit-ion; v

FIG. 3 is a similar partial 'elevation in which the container has been tilted to an attitude which prevents open-Y ing ofthe valve;

FIG. 4 is a similar partial elevation of a `different embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a partial elevation of a still further, and the preferred embodiment of my invention; and

FIG. 6 is a partial elevation of a modification of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5. y Referring to FIG. l, a conventionally shaped'gas pressure fluid dispensing container 1li is provided with an upper closure wall l2, the center area of which is crimped over a rubber sealing member 13 in the manner shown to` retain a valving unit 14 of the present invention. This -valving unit i4 comprises a housing 1.6 which is formed to seat,"at its lower extremity 18, within the upper extremity of a tube 2li by which the pressurized fluid 2 2 is conducted from the bottom of the container lll to a valving unit for dispensing through such valving unit' in a manner well known in this art.

The housing 31.6 is formed to define a series of co-axial cylindrical chambers 24, 26, Z8 and 30, all of different diameters, and a valve seat 31.

The actual valving mechanism is comprised of a tubular valve stem 32 which is integrally molded with a circular transverse wall member 34. Interlocking fitted intov erigagement with a portion 36 of the valve stem 32 is a circular plate 3S. The upper face 39 of the plate 33 is inwardly conical. The stem 32, Wall member 34 and plate 38, therefore, are `adapted to move axially as a unit. The lower portion of the valve stem 32 is disposed to slide axially in the chamber 24, which is of the smallest diameter of the several chambers detinedby the housing 16. The transverse member 34 slides axially within the cylindrical chamber 3i), which is of the largest diameter, while the plate 38 simultaneously slides in the chamber 28.

'range Vof attitudes of the container.

vsagem inthe stem 32. Sealing niemberi Yserves to prevent the Vescape of the pressurized liuid around the circumference of the stem 32 Whenthe latter is inserted within the housing 16. The sealing ring 4S further insnres against the escape of pressurized iiuid when the tubular stem 32` is disposed in its uppermost, or valve closing position.

A spring element 50, housed in the chamber 26,bases the valve stem 32, the member 314!-V and means 38,.. upwardly into closed valve position.

It will be observed thatthe difference in the diameters of the chambers 28 and 30, defined by the wall portions 28a and Stia of the housing 16, results in creation of a shelf 29 which Vextends annularly 4around the `periphery of the upper rim of the VWall portion 28a. This shelf preferably basa slight slant down toward the chamber 2S.

the invention illustrated in FIG. 5, While the wall'34 is integrally formed with one tubular valve stem "32', the element 38' is not in fixed` engagement `withthe stem 32',

.as in the FIG. l embodiment, but is integrally formed with an outer coaxial tubular stem32.'.', and this combination is independently slidable axially relative to the wall 3d' stem 32 combination. In View of this independence of movement of the wall 34stem 32 .combination and of element 38, stem 32", it is necessary to provide separate spring biasing for each said combination. Thus, spring St'iserves to bias the element 38-stem 32'. combination outwardly; while an inner spring 50 resiliently presses To provide the desired blocking of the valving of the container in selected attitudes ofthe l-atter, a vrelatively non-compressible sphere 52 is disposed between the op posing faces of the member 34 and plater33.v

A standard cap S4 having a right angled passage extension 56 completes the valving unit.`

The valving unit thus described operates in the following manner: l

When the container is oriented in a substantially vertical attitude, from which attitudedispensing ofthe container contents may occur without waste of its pressurized gas propellant, the sphere 52, Vby virtue'of the slant of the conical surface 39 of the support plate 38, will remain in the stem 32"-vvalll34. ycombination inV the same direction.

When the inner stern 32is inserted eoaxially within the outer stem 32, a chamber 44a is defined bythe inner walls of the stem 32, and the lower lextremity of the stemv 32. This chamber. communicates with the axial passagedd by meansof the terminal bore 44"` and is tapped by .a lateral orifice 42. Whenever thestem 32" is depressed to the .point where the Vorifice 42 drops below the inner transverse wall 43, the chambertia is placed .in communication with a further'chamberddhby means of the lateral orifice 42'; Chamber 44h in turn communicates with the passage 21 ofthe tube 20', through which rolling abutment with the outer walll ofthe tubular stern i 32. In this'disposition ofv the sphere 52, there. is no impediment to the axial movement of the stem 32, .member 34 and Vplate 3S 'unit within chambers defined bythe housing .16, until the lower face 35 ofthe member 34 comes into'contact with the slantedtransverse shelf wall i the cap passage 56, for dispensing until the downward force upon the cap is released. With release of the force upon the cap, the spring 50 returns the stem 32, Vmember 34 and plate 38 unit upwardly to the valve closed position of FIG. 1. l

Should the container be tilted in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3 to an attitude where the sphere 52 rolls off the conical face; 39 of the plate 38 Yand onto the shelf 29, movementiof the stem v352, member 34' and plate-38 unit is effectively blocked by the interposition of thesphereV between the lower face35 of the member 34 and the Shelf iiuid flow, therefore, results.

It will thus be seen that the present invention, `one embodiment of which has lbeen thus illustrated and described, effectively provides means whereby valving of the container may be automaticallylimited to acertain embodiment illustrated and described, this range cornprises a cone within which the container axis must be disposed. The diameterV of the cone base may -be greater or less, depending upon the slope of` the upper conical surface 39 of plate 3S.

Also, it will be appreciated that by inverting the conical surface, as shown in FIG. 4,' valving will beprevented unless the container is tilted to a substantially non-vertical attitude. Y

In the further and actually preferred embodiment of In the particular the pressurized fluid flows from the container. When theV stemI 32'. is not depressed, escape 'of the pressurized propellant'is prevented by `the rubber vsealing ringfi", which is heldy in place lby a split seal retainer 4S". In addition,r a further rubber sealingV member a, retained by 'ta split ring 4817, is provided to prevent-the escape'of pressurized uidaround `the outside of the stem 32.

The FIG. l6 embodiment diifers'from that of FIG.Y 5 essentiallyin the fact vthat the spring to bias the outer wall 34 is disposed peripherally of the tubular stem'32. Y

Bothjofthese further embodiments operate generally on the same principle as the embodiments of FIGS. 1-3.

Manyiother'.variations` and modifications of the principlesy of the present invention Will'readily occur to persons skilled in the pressurized containerl and valving arts, and

these are fullyY intended to .be comprehended within theV scope of the Vclaims hereto, as follows:

- What is claimed is:

, 1. In a gaseous pressure type uid product dispensing container, said container having a valve insaid container, and a valve actuating tube projecting from said container; said tube being movable inits own axis and resiliently Y biased into closedV valve position, the fluidfproduct fiowing throughsaid tube Vupon the application of pressure uponrsaid tube `substantiallyiny the direction of the tube axis into said container to open said valve; a device for limiting the actuation of said valve to a preselected range 4 of attitudeszofsaid container, said device comprising: a

i. substantially non-compressibleY Vspherical* element; sup- -port meansfor said element; said support means coaxially surround-ing,and being movable.with,isaid tube, and presenting 2a substantially conicall face to receive said element against said tube'when said container is disposed in said preselected range of attitudes; a coaxial transverse member ix'edly associated with said tube and spaced axially outwardly of said support means by a distance at least suiiiciently greater than the diameter of said spherical n element, to-permitffree Vmovement ofpsaid element between said support means and said member, said transverse memberbeing of greater diameterrthan said support means; a housing, `said housing being fixedly secured to the Walls of said container and enclosing for axial movement therewithin, said element, saidsupport means,l at least a portion of said tube, and said transverse mem-y ber, said housingdelining an annular shelflike area peripherally of said conical face in :relation to which said member moves axially; said shelflike area being adapted to receive said spherical element when said tube is undepressed and said member is not brought axially into abut- Y ment with said sheltlike area; whereby in the preselecting range of attitudes of said container, said element rolls into said conical tace surrounding said tube and about the latter to atiord free movement of said tube to actuate the container valve; but in any attitude of said container other than said preselected range of attitudes said spherical element rolls into said shelflike area to prevent axial movement of said member and tube, and hence, actuation of said valve.

2. A device for actuating a valve operable in response to the application of a predetermined force on said valve, said device comprising:

a irst movable member,

said first member being movable in a predetermined direction to actuate said valve by the application of a force to said member in said direction,

an immobile structure spaced from said movable member,

a sphere, and

a second movable member operatively connected to said rst movable member and extending between said first movable member and said immobile structure and movable by said tirst movable member in said direction, said second movable member providing an area for rolling movement for said sphere and so disposed in relation to said structure as to gravitationally interpose -said sphere between said structure and said movable member for blocking movement of said movable member toward said valve actuating direction in all but a predetermined range of attitudes of said device, said area being arranged so that said sphere is rendered inoperative when said sphere is in said area.

3. A device for actuating a valve operable in response to the application of a predetermined force on said valve, said device comprising:

a first movable member,

said first member being movable in a predetermined direction to actuate said valve by the application of a force to said member in said direction,

an immobile structure spaced from said movable member,

a mobile element, and

a second movable member operatively connected to said irst movable member and extending between f References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,904 10/60 Potoczky. 2,975,943 3/ 61 Miles et al. 222-509 X 3,019,947 2/ 62 Gorman.

FOREIGN PATENTS 851,173 10/60 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner. 

3. A DEVICE FOR ACTUATING A VALVE OPERABLE IN RESPONSE TO THE APPLICATION OF A PREDETERMINED FORCE ON SAID VALVE, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING: A FIRST MOVABLE MEMBER, SAID FIRST MEMBER BEING MOVABLE INA PREDETERMINED DIRECTION TO ACTUATE SAID VALVE BY THE APPLICATION OF A FORCE TO SAID MEMBER IN SAID DIRECTION, AN IMMOBILE STRUCTURE SPACED FROM SAID MOVABLE MEMBER, A MOBILE ELEMENT, AND 